How to Relieve Tailbone Pain During Pregnancy

Updated: February 16, 2018

Alamy

Feel like sometimes pregnancy is a (literal) pain in the butt? You’re not alone! Tailbone pain is a common pregnancy symptom that can strike in any trimester, and can be frustrating to deal with, since pregnancy limits the types of medications you’re allowed to take.

Your tailbone, aka your coccyx, sits where your tail would be if you had one—at the bottom of your spine right above your tush. It’s made up of three to five bones that are connected by joints and cartilage. It helps support you when you sit, acting as a tripod between your two hip bones to balance and stabilize you. It connects your pelvic floor muscles that support your vagina and your growing uterus and baby-to-be throughout pregnancy.

In the first trimester, as your body releases hormones to relax the ligaments of your pelvic region so the muscles can move to make room for baby, your tailbone can sometimes shift, which can cause pain. As the weeks go by, and your bump gets bigger, your babe may push against the tailbone, which is handily (for LO at least), right behind your uterus, which can cause pain and discomfort as well.

Thankfully, there are natural, pregnancy approved remedies that can help ease any pain or discomfort without putting your health or baby’s health at risk. Read on for a few of our favorite suggestions, plus products that can help.

Sit Right

Sitting on a hard, uncomfortable desk chair for hours on end can be torture when you’re expecting. Take the pressure off your achy tailbone and help keep your spine aligned with a donut-shaped pillow. These help to distribute your weight evenly, which makes sitting for longer much more comfortable. As an added bonus, these types of seats also help if you’re experiencing that other pregnancy joy: hemorrhoids. And they’re also handy to have after baby has arrived and you have any discomfort in your perineal area. Three symptom solutions for the price of one!

Milliard Foam Donut Ring

The mesh cover on this pillow serves two purposes: It lets air flow through, so your nether regions won’t get hot and sweaty when you sit on it, and it makes it look like a regular pillow, which helps prevent questions from nosy co-workers. At 20 “ x 15” you, you can use this cushion at your desk and in your car, which is especially helpful for mamas-to-be with long commutes.. The cover is machine-washable.$19.95 at Amazon

Letscon Fitness Tracker

It’s not just how you sit that can be a problem, it’s how long you sit, too. So if you’ve ever considered investing in a fitness tracker, now is the time to do it. Many of them, including this one, let you set a “sedentary reminder” so it will gently vibrate if you’ve been sitting for too long. Then when you do move, it acts as a pedometer, counting your steps for you and it will track your heart rate. It also has the benefit of letting you know if you’ve received a text or a phone call on your phone. Plus, we love how cute it is!$26.99 at Amazon.com

Supported Sleep

Hopefully, you’re already following the recommendation for sleeping on your side, preferably your left one, to take pressure off your spine and keep up circulation to your placenta. If this position isn’t doing much to help your tailbone pain, consider adding a pillow between your legs to position your hips and knees into a more comfortable position.

Get Moving

It’s not enough to sit and sleep correctly, you also need to get some light exercise. Exercise keeps you limber, helps ease achy joints, keeps your muscles strong and will help keep weight gain in check (added pounds can put more strain on your tailbone). As long as your OB has said it’s okay, it’s fine and even recommended to keep on exercising right up to your due date.

Skechers Performance Women's Go Walk 3 Slip-On Walking Shoe

Make walking easier and more comfortable with a new pair of slip-on walking shoes. These are easy to get on, even when you’re at the point in your pregnancy where you’re wondering if you’ll ever see your toes again. The mesh fabric will make sure your feet don’t get too sweaty and the memory foam is uber comfy for your tired feet. And they’re reasonably priced so if your feet go up a size, you won’t break the bank buying a second pair. They’re available in 10 different colors.Starting at $18.77 at Amazon.com

Take a Yoga Class

Prenatal yoga has a ton of benefits for expecting moms, from lowering your blood pressure to improving your mood to easing back pain. You can sign up for a class or try a few simple moves at home, like cat/cow, bridge pose and child’s pose. Just be sure to avoid moves where you lie on your belly, do deep twists or lie on your back.

Aurorae Eco Safe Yoga Mat

Sure, you can borrow one from your yoga studio, but who knows when the last time that mat was cleaned? Invest in your own mat and you won’t have to think about other people’s germs. This one is no-slip, so you don’t have to worry about sliding while holding Warrior I, even if you’re balance-challenged in your later weeks of pregnancy. It’s also free of phthalates, phenols, PAHS, latex, silicone and rubber.$39.95 at Amazon.com

Seek Out Support

If you’re experiencing pain on a regular basis, you may want to try a maternity belt to support your growing bump. It reduces the pressure on your lower back and are particularly helpful for moms-to-be who work on their feet all day.

NEOtech Care Maternity Support Belt

While this belt may look kind of intimidating, it actually redistributes the pressure of your bump more evenly across your back to prevent tailbone pain. It goes underneath and on top of your bump, leaving the rest of it to breathe, which is helpful if you have itchy skin or overheat easily these days.$21.99 at Amazon.com

AZMED Maternity Belt

A binder-style belt is easy to put on and is adjustable through all stages of your pregnancy and beyond — it can even be used post-pregnancy to wrap your ab muscles. It supports your belly and gently compresses it to ease tailbone pain.$22.95 at Amazon.com

Try Heat - Carefully

A heating pad can help ease the pain and while there is no indication that it’s not safe for baby, we recommend wrapping it in a towel to reduce the amount of heat passed along and keeping it on the lowest setting. The good news is that the isolated application of heat won’t raise your overall core temperature, ike, say, a hot tub. The heat works to ease the pain by opening blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the area. You should limit use to 20 minutes at a time.Find out more at Polisport.com

Sunbeam King Size Moist / Dry Heat Heating Pad

A heating pad with three temperature settings and an automatic shutoff is your safest option. Start off using the lowest heat option to see if it brings relief. This one can be used wet or dry and you can toss the cover into the washing machine for cleaning.Starting at $16.46 at Amazon.com

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